Katy Wheeler

“Thank you Fulwell” - One Direction gave a shout out to the Mackem film makers who directed their video at last night’s Brit Awards.

The boy band scooped the Best British Video gong at the star-studded ceremony for Drag Me Down, which was produced by Fulwell 73.

The production company, named after the famous stand at Roker Park and the year SAFC won the FA Cup, have worked with the band since their X Factor days.

Collecting the award, which was voted for by the public, Liam Payne, said: “Fulwell have always been amazing to us who did the videos over the past five years, thank you so much.”

Even NASA, upon who the video was themed, tweeted about the win.

Fulwell 73 are no strangers to Brit success. Last year they won the Best British Video for One Direction’s You and I, and were thanked on stage by Simon Cowell, who collected the award.

The production company - made up of brothers Gabe and Ben Turner and their cousins and friends Leo Pearlman and Ben Winston - say they are delighted by the win.

Leo told the Echo: “It’s such an honour to win one Brit, but to have won three in a row for best British video is kind of unbelievable. What it says most is how fantastic a band One Direction are and how loyal and devoted a fan base they have. We wish the boys the best of success during their break and can’t wait to work more with them in the future.”

Though they are based in London, the company is made up of a trio of lifelong SAFC fans.

They’ve spoken publicly about how their ambition is to make an end of season video with the football club and have named their editing suites Niall Quinn, Kevin Ball and Julio Arca in honour of their heroes.

Fulwell 73

Since forming ten years ago, the company has built up a client list that reads like a who’s who of celebrities, making music videos for Gary Barlow, JLS, Little Mix and Olly Murs, and producing celebrated sports films including In The Hands of The Gods and Class of 92, which charted the rise of some of Manchester United’s greatest players.

Most recently they’ve made a documentary film about icon sprinter Usain Bolt, entitled I Am Bolt.

Leo said: “I was born in Sunderland and my cousins Gabe and Ben would come up for games. Our dads would take us and we’d stand in the Fulwell end in the old Roker Park as kids. We grew up as SAFC fans.

“We aren’t old enough to have gone to the 1973 FA Cup win, but the amount of times we watched it we feel as if we were there. We still get back for games, it’s more difficult now with wives and children, but we still get to eight to ten a season and it’s always great to be back.”

There was another Sunderland legends link at last night’ awards.

Former Black Cat captain Gary Bennett’s daughter Janee wrote the Jess Glynne single Hold My Hand, which was up for Best British Single.

Like many people on the night, she lost out to Adele, who took home four gongs.